Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1887-12-29
KANSAS APPoRrroNMenT.
Governor Martins Answer tn = Core
spo"slent on This subject.

SoSernSr Martins Answer tn = Core
Hpostlent This Subject.
TOPEKA Kan. Dec 23-Governor Mar
TIN has recenily received several letters
with reference 70 questions growing out OF
. Inc new .apporlionmeRt which takes pEsce
every hVe We as ia aha State. He does not
th'nk an extra s .ssIon of the Legislature
advls able Tue Legislature has known all
along OF the inequalities that exist. but has
taken no steps To efe.t "A remtdv Gov
ernor Martins lie ter TO one OF his CORE
spondenis is as follows:
TOPEKA, Kan. Dec 81. IsS..
Hon. " D. PI-E1f, Jslnsor, Kaa:
MH DEAR SIR: / have received yours OF the
lota IN -. IN which you urge that a special ses-
sion OF the Legislature should be called this
winter because. first. sixty OF seventy thou
sand citizens OF newly organized counties arc
deprived by the constitution and laws as they
now are, OF any vote in the law-making body uf
the SJafe; and. second several OF the laws OF
Kansas are sadly in need of revision
recognize, fully, the inequalities OF our
present basis OF representation in the House of
Representatives, but / doubt very much
whether a new airport onmenI could be made
this winter, even If the Legislature was con-
vened- and am certain that such an apportion-
ment could not correct the inequalities OF our
present system Our State constitution pro-
vides that II new superintendent shall be made
In the year 1866, and every five years thereafter,
based upon the census OF the preceding
year. To secure compliance with this con-
stitutional provision. / convened the Legisla-
ture in extra es>iOn in january 1886, and that
body made new apportionment- based on the
census OF 1855. But the inequalities OF repre-
sentation are as glaring now they were be-
fore this apportionment was made, and. in my
Judgment, they would be equally conspicuous
and obnoxious if another apportionmert could
be made this winter, based on the census of
1887.
The truth is that no fair and just appOrtion-
ment is possible under the provisions OF our
present organic law. Our constitution. while
providing that the House OF Representatives
shall admit one member from each county
IN which AT least two hundred and fifty
legal votes were cast" and that each organized
county shall have at least one Representatives"
also declares that the number OF Representa-
tives shall never exceed one hundred and TWEEN
ty-hVe-" The population of the State. az the
date OF the last census-March /. lSS1-was
i-51S 253. a fair and equal basis OF representa-
ton for House of one hundred and twenty
five members. the constitutional limit. would
therefore. be one member for each IL. I46 lnhab-
itants. There are. At present. one hundred and
two organized counties in Kansas, and four
others will probably be organized during the
next year. OF these, eighty-seven counties
have, under the present apportionment. one or
more Representatives. and fifteen counties.
now organized, will have vote in the next
Legislature. Tween y-five counties each have
two Representatives, viz Atchison, Jeffer
son, Wyandotte Douglas, Franklin. Miami.
Bourbon, Crawford, Cherokee, Montgomery.
Neosho Usage, Nemaha, Marshall, Pottawato-
ME, Lyon. Butler. Marion, Dickinson, Wash
ington, Republic, Cloud, Mcpherson, Reno and
Jewell. Five counties. Labette, Shawnee,
Cowley. Sedgwick and Sumner. each have three
Representatives: and one county. Leaven-
worth. has four The least populous of the
counties having two Representatives, Jefcr-
son, has Ii, 26j inhabitants: the most populous
Wyandotte has 81 ,565. OF the counties having
three Representatives. tile least populous. La
bette, has 2s,1s5 inhabitants; the most popu-
lous, Sedgwick, has 1883 1 give the census OF
1887.
The fifteen counties organized since the ap-
portionment of 1886 was made had populations,
at the date of the last census or the date OF
their organization, if made since that time, as
follows.